Narni is one of the most interesting medieval cities in Umbria: it has very old origins; for many centuries it made up the principle knot for controlling the viability between the Adriatic and Rome; the remains of the 1st-century Augusto Bridge are a sign of the eminence. The bridge is an extraordinary example of Roman engineering (of which today only an arch remains); it is in travertine and was originally 130 meters long and almost 30 meters above the water. The same privileged position exposed Narni to numerous sieges and raids: the city remained flourishing in the Middle Ages but declined beginning with the tragic pillage in 1527 by the Lanzichenecchi. The historic center, well-conserved and with significant medieval appearance, is located on a rocky spur above the ravine dug by the Nera; it presents valuable monuments. Piazza Garibaldi (embellished by a part-medieval, part-Renaissance fountain) can make an ideal departure point for a visit of the city, leaving from the Duomo of San Giovenale, which laterally overlooks the opening with the two simple and harmonious forms. In the zone, on different buildings, the countless layers of various eras are visible. Examples of sacred architecture are the 14th-15th century Church of Sant'Agostino (restructured in the 1700's but holds a great number of medieval works of art), the Church of Santa Maria Impensole (from the 12th century with magnificent portals), and the Church of San Domenico. Underneath the Church of San Domenico you can visit (together with a magnificent medieval chapel with frescoes and the remains of Roman hydraulic works) the prison of the ancient Domenican convent, which was home to the Tribune of Santa Inquisizione. Particularly impressionable, it is a narrow room with graffiti everywhere, and there are writings on the walls dating back to various eras and traces of the prisoners, including various religious, esoteric, and philosophic symbols. Among the civil buildings, Palazzo dei Priori (with marvelous loggia attributed to Gallapone) which looks onto the civic tower and Palazzo del Podestà, municipal headquarters and a museum with a collection of Roman and medieval remains, are worth mentioning. Both buildings face the picturesque Piazza dei Priori, which is home to the Sacripanti Houses (with medieval bas-reliefs) and a 14th-century fountain; on Via Ferrucci and Via Mazzini, however, several house-towers stand out. Worth mentioning are also the 17th-century ex-Palazzo Vescovile, in whose interior is a civic Picture Gallery; it holds valuable works of art, coming from various churches in the city, including the Annunciation by Benozzo Gozzoli and a crowning of Mary among Angels and Saints by Ghirlandaio.
At the town limits and in a secluded and scenic position on a cliff, probably the location of a sacred altar from the pre-Roman era (was would confirm the nearby Fonte Feronia), rises the "Rocca degli Albornoz" (Albornoz Fortress), a majestic fort built in the 14th century on the design of Ugolino di Montemarte and modified in the 15th century.
The interior, mostly barren, can be visited: from the rampart walkway you can enjoy a vast panorama over the Fernana Basin and the Nera Ravines. Then there is the view over the San Cassiano Convent, totally immersed in vegetation: it is a small, semi-fortified monastic complex of Benedictine origin and dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries, which you reach by means of a small and very scenic but very bumpy road; clinging on the rocky precipice, the location radiates an atmosphere of peace and profound spirituality.
The Duomo of San Giovenale
Located in Piazza Cavour and rising above an early medieval necropolis linked to the cult of San Giovenal, the Duomo was built between 1047 and 1145. The actual façade is fruit of the 14th-century restorations, but you can recognize the remains of the Roman city wall. Inside, with a basilica design, there is a fourth nave (again from the 14th century) which was added to the original three, encompassing the Sacellum of Saints Giovenale and Cassio, which was previously underground. Other than the gravestone of Cassio and his wife, Fausta (6th century), you can admire a magnificent Benedictine Jesus in almond round from the 9th century, alongside the perhaps posthumous frescoes. Worth mentioning is also the bell tower, rising on the ancient Roman fortifications: on the lower level it is Romanesque (12th century) in local limestone; on the upper level it is Renaissance (15th century), embellished by majolica basins.
